Chapter 2

Zac let out a low, satisfied laugh. “I’ll be more gentle next time. I’ll grab you some ointment later.”

As his voice faded into the distance, Liz lowered her gaze and stared at the broken lipstick in her hand. Her face showed no emotion.

She dropped the snapped lipstick into the trash, then opened the second drawer of her jewelry box. Only a few scattered pieces remained.

It used to be packed with jewelry—hundreds of pieces, all gifts from Zac. But ever since he started cheating, she began throwing one away every time he disappointed her.

In the beginning, she did it slowly, hesitating each time. But over time, she discarded them more and more quickly. Now, there was almost nothing left.

Just like her love for Zac. It had once flooded her heart like a rising tide. Now all that remained was numbness and quiet resignation, nearly drained to nothing.

She picked up a delicate gold necklace with a tiny cat paw charm. It was a gift from their third anniversary.

Back then, Liz had been obsessed with the idea of getting a cat. She often stayed up late watching cat videos online.

When she received the necklace, she was overjoyed. She had turned that little paw over in her hand again and again, unable to stop smiling.

They had even made plans. After graduation, they would adopt a cat once they moved in together. They had already picked out a name—Gigi.

But of course, it never happened. Zac poured himself into his startup. Once it became successful, he only got busier. He barely had time for her, let alone time to think about getting a cat.

Looking back, that was probably when their relationship started to fall apart.

She had been too confident. She truly believed Zac would never change.

Swallowing the tight wave of emotion rising in her chest, Liz dropped the gold necklace into the trash and slowly closed the jewelry box.

Only five pieces were left.

She stood up, slipped on her coat, grabbed her bag, and walked out the door.

As soon as Liz arrived at the firm, a colleague walked over to congratulate her on another win.

“Congratulations, Miss Smith!”

“Miss Smith, that’s your sixth case this month, isn’t it? You really are the firm’s good luck charm.”

“I guess it’s true what they say. When love fails, your career takes off. Just look at how well you’ve been doing lately.”

The words had barely landed when someone nearby tugged on the speaker’s sleeve and gave them a warning glance. The room fell silent. Everyone shifted uncomfortably, avoiding Liz’s eyes.

Everyone at the firm knew she was engaged to Zac Lincoln. The ones who kept their ears open also knew he had been secretly seeing his secretary. But no one had ever dared to bring it up in front of Liz.

The colleague who had just spoken realized they had crossed a line and quickly apologized. “Miss Smith, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it. Please don’t take it the wrong way.”

Liz’s face turned a shade paler. Her hand tightened around her briefcase handle, but she managed to force a smile.

“It’s fine. I’ll treat everyone to dinner tonight at Haven Bistro to celebrate. Be sure to keep your schedule open.”

Everyone chimed in with quick agreement, adding light jokes to smooth over the tension. Just like that, the awkward moment passed.

Back at her desk, Liz opened her laptop and began sorting through case files, preparing to write a case summary.

But after more than two hours, she had only written a few lines. Her mind was elsewhere, lost in thought.

That evening, Liz walked into Haven Bistro with a group of colleagues from the firm.

The moment they entered, she spotted two familiar figures sitting by the window.

She looked up and met Zac’s cold, indifferent gaze.

Her breath caught in her throat.

A second later, he looked away and smiled, acting as if she weren’t even there. He turned his attention back to Xena, gently feeding her a spoonful of dessert with a look of affection in his eyes.

Even in front of her coworkers, he couldn’t be bothered to show her a shred of respect.

One of the colleagues who was especially close to Liz turned bright red with anger. She stepped forward, ready to speak up for Liz.

Liz gently took hold of her colleague’s arm and spoke in a steady voice. “I’m fine. Let’s just go to the private room.”

Her colleague’s face was still filled with anger. She turned, ready to say something, but stopped short when she saw Liz forcing a smile—a smile that looked more painful than tears.

In the end, she said nothing and let Liz lead her toward the private dining room.

When it comes to love, only the person living it truly knows how it feels. If Liz wanted to keep pretending everything was fine, no one else had the right to interfere.

After the food was ordered, Liz stood up and told the group she was going to the restroom.

As she closed the door behind her, she could still hear the faint voices of her colleagues talking from inside the room.

“Did I see that right? Her boyfriend just fed dessert to another woman in front of her. He’s such a jerk.”

“I saw it too. I honestly don’t get it. What does she even see in a guy like that? She’s stunning. She could do so much better.”

“I guess it’s true what they say. Even the smartest people lose their sense when it comes to love. She’s always so clear-headed in court, but when it comes to her own relationship, it’s like she’s someone else.”

Liz didn’t hear the rest, but she could guess what was said.

They were right. Every word.

And yet, every time she thought about a future without Zac, a deep, unbearable ache filled her chest.

Eventually, she had learned to live with that feeling.

She had grown used to his indifference, to the lingering scent of other women’s perfume on his clothes, and to the slow, silent process of healing from one emotional wound after another.

But just as she reached the restroom door, her footsteps came to a sudden stop. It felt like her whole body had frozen in place.

Only a few feet ahead, what she saw hit her like a knife to the heart.

Xena was sitting on the edge of the sink counter while Zac stood between her legs, gripping her waist. His back was to Liz, and he was kissing Xena like they were completely alone in the world.

No matter how reckless he had been in the past, he had never crossed that line in front of her.

But today, he did.

As Liz stared at his back, it felt like something had torn open inside her. Cold air rushed in through the cracks, leaving her breathless.

“Zac Lincoln, how could you be this cruel?” Liz thought.

He was so caught up in the moment that he didn’t even notice her standing nearby.

But even if he had, it probably wouldn’t have made a difference. Whether she was hurting or not, he no longer seemed to care.

In the mirror, their tangled figures were clearly reflected—alongside Liz’s pale, devastated face, drained of all color.

She looked like a fool.

It was Xena who noticed her first. Her eyes widened in shock, and she quickly pushed Zac away.

“Mr. Lincoln… Miss Smith…”

Her cheeks were flushed, her wide eyes full of panic. Her lips were swollen and red, glistening with the remnants of his kiss, like freshly ripened fruit.

Zac didn’t even look at Liz. “Don’t worry about her,” he said flatly.

“Mr. Lincoln, wait—” Xena tried to speak, but Zac silenced her with another kiss.

No one knew how long it lasted. When he finally let go, he lifted her down from the counter, smoothed her dress, and wrapped an arm around her. Then, as if nothing had happened, he turned to walk out.

As they passed Liz, he gave her a mocking glance and raised an eyebrow. “Still not satisfied? Want me to bring Xena home tonight so you can really enjoy the show?”

Liz turned and looked directly at him. His eyes, once filled with warmth, now held only contempt.

“Zac,” she said softly, “you can do whatever you want with her when I’m not around. But can you please not throw it in my face? I’m begging you.”

She truly didn’t know how much longer she could keep holding on.

The future they had once imagined together now felt like a fantasy—one that only she was still clinging to.

Zac gave a careless laugh and tilted Xena’s chin before placing another kiss on her lips.

“Already can’t handle it? If it’s too much for you, feel free to call off the engagement or just walk away.”

Liz lowered her eyes, about to respond, when she suddenly froze.

On Xena’s wrist was a gold bracelet with a tulip design.

From the design to the craftsmanship, it was exactly the same as the one Zac had once designed and custom-made just for her.